The next generation of young NBA rookies will be selected at Barclays Center when the 2024 NBA Draft begins Wednesday night in Brooklyn, New York.
The Atlanta Hawks, winners of the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, are about to have the first overall pick. How they use that pick will set off a domino effect as teams wait for their preferred pick to fall into place.
That said, here are the most intriguing NBA prospects to watch heading into Wednesday's first round, and perhaps Thursday's second round, depending on how teams hand out their picks.
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NBA Draft prospects Alexandre Sarr, left, and Zaccharie Risacher visit the Empire State Building on June 24, 2024 in New York City. (David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
Alexandre Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher
The two Frenchmen have consistently been considered the top two prospects throughout this draft process. However, draft picks don't have a consensus on who the No. 1 and No. 2 candidates will be, as it appears the Hawks could go with either to start the draft.
Starting with 7-foot Alexandre Sarr, the 19-year-old center performed well for the Perth Wildcats in 24 games during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and shooting 52% from the field in 17.2 minutes per game. game. from the bench.
Sarr's defensive skills are expected to adapt quickly to the NBA game, while his offensive skills will need improvement. However, his agility and athleticism will make him a great rim protector no matter where he plays.
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As for Zaccharie Risacher, also 19 years old, he has a little more experience on the international scene. Playing for Mincidelice JL Bourg in France's Betclic Elite league, the 6-foot-9 Risacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and shot 43.9% from the field in 32 games. Risacher also played very well in the BKT EuroCup, dropping 13.1 points per game in 17 games.
NBA scouts love his ability to thrive on both ends of the court, and his young age shows plenty of potential for improvement.
Where will the Hawks go? No matter the case, the Washington Wizards, owners of the second overall pick, are expected to take the Frenchman that Atlanta doesn't pick.
Donovan Clingan, #32 of the Connecticut Huskies, reacts in the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament National Championship game at State Farm Stadium on April 8, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Donovan Clingan
A two-time NCAA national champion with the Connecticut Huskies, Donovan Clingan's dominance in the paint during his college days should have NBA teams clamoring to add him to their roster.
However, even though many scouts believe the 7-foot-3 center is the third-best prospect behind Sarr and Risacher, it is unknown when he will appear in the draft.
Because? Well, the Houston Rockets (No. 3), San Antonio Spurs (4), Detroit Pistons (5) and others at the top of the first round need guards. Could the Charlotte Hornets pull the trigger on Clingan, who took a big step forward as a starter in his second college season, averaging 13.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 35 games?
Zach Edey
On the same level as Clingan, which NBA team is going to hand over the card that has Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4 Purdue Boilermaker who returned for his senior season hoping to win a national title after a very early exit against Fairleigh Dickinson University the year before?
Edey and Clingan faced off in the title game, and despite Clingan showing his ability to guard his opponent, Edey scored a game-high 37 points on 15-of-25 shooting from the field, including 7-of-10 from the charity stripe, with 10 rebounds in the loss.
Purdue center Zach Edey, right, backs off NC State forward Ben Middlebrooks during the second half of the NCAA college basketball game in the Final Four on Saturday, April 6, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. . (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Edey didn't just want to win with his team, he also wanted to improve his draft stock. Mock drafts appear to have him as the 19th pick by the Toronto Raptors or the 21st pick to join Zion Williamson with the New Orleans Pelicans.
However, could a team like, say, the Oklahoma City Thunder, add Edey to allow Chet Holmgren and that young, up-and-coming team more freedom to roam the court, while he handles the paint?
Reed Sheppard and Robert Dillingham
Kentucky's freshmen were instrumental in getting the Wildcats back to “The Dance,” but it quickly ended in a huge upset for Oakland University.
NBA scouts definitely wanted to see what Reed Sheppard and Robert Dillingham could do in a long tournament, but instead they had to rely on past tape and the draft process to determine their projections in the pros.
Sheppard, the 6-foot-3 guard, appears to have the edge over the 6-foot-2 Dillingham in mock drafts, though both are projected to be picked in the top 10.
Sheppard and Dillingham came off the bench of now-former Kentucky coach John Calipari, but averaged 12.5 and 15.2 points per game in their freshman seasons in the always-tough SEC.
Rob Dillingham, #0 of the Kentucky Wildcats, shoots the ball in the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies during the quarterfinals of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 15, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Sheppard, however, has an NBA-ready shot, averaging 52.1% from beyond the arc last season on 4.4 three-point attempts per game. He has been one to benefit from the draft process, as teams have reportedly loved his ability to knock down open looks and create shots with the ball in his hands.
That said, Dillingham is what NBA.com called a “certified cube,” and his tape proves it. While Sheppard led the team in three-point shooting, Dillingham still shot an impressive 44.4% from three and scored virtually everywhere on the court.
However, the biggest hit to his draft stock has been his size. NBA scouts wonder if that's why he'll be limited, especially on the defensive end. However, there have been players like Trae Young and Jalen Brunson who debunk those size claims with All-Star level play in the league.
Bronny James
Finally, it's really hard not to preview the NBA Draft without wondering if there's a team willing to select the son of all-time leading scorer LeBron James.
James, who stood 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 210 pounds, got off to a slow start in his first season at USC as he recovered from a cardiac arrest he suffered before the season began. Once he was cleared and finally got on the court for the Trojans, he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 19.3 minutes in 25 games (six starts).
Now, James is not projected to be a first-round pick. There are simply too many guards with a larger sample size of college or international play, which trumps what he did with the Trojans.
Bronny James shoots a free throw during the 2024 NBA Basketball Draft Combine in Chicago on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
However, there are those who believe that James has enormous potential to be a good point guard at both positions in the league given the right situation and training. Could the Los Angeles Lakers pull the trigger on the second round (No. 55) thinking maybe his dad will return for another season in the purple and gold? That seems to be the consensus choice, if he is selected.
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He's an obvious name to watch as the NBA Draft begins.
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